


"I've Been Seeing Someone."

by iwritewhenimhappy



Series: Hope [6]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Injury Recovery, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-10 01:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18928129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwritewhenimhappy/pseuds/iwritewhenimhappy
Summary: Buck is acting strangely and Eddie is worried.





	"I've Been Seeing Someone."

“What time is it?” Buck asks sleepily as he rubs his eyes. He sits up on Eddie’s couch and looks to Eddie for an answer.

“Six thirty.” Eddie says with an amused smile. “You fell asleep five minutes into the movie.”

 Buck can’t help but match his smile, but it doesn’t last long as it sinks in what Eddie is saying. Six thirty? Too late. He’s late, like really late for his appointment with his doctor. He gets up quickly and moves away from Eddie toward the door. Luckily his cane is nearby and he has no trouble grabbing it to help to his shoes.

“What’s wrong? Where are you going?” Eddie asks with concern as he stands up to follow Buck to his front door.

“I’m going to be late.”

“Late for what?”

 Buck looks up almost unnerved as he types send on his phone for an uber. “Nowhere. I mean, Maddie, we’re supposed to have dinner.”

“Okay. I can drive you. Let me just get Christopher-” Eddie offers, but before he can finish Buck is shaking his head.

“No. No that’s okay. I don’t want to disturb Chris. The uber will be here soon anyway.”

“Alright, if you’re sure.”

“I am. Thanks though.” Buck says with a rushed smile before leaning in and kissing Eddie’s cheek. It makes Eddie smile and almost pushes the worry for what exactly is going on with Buck away. Almost. “Oh, it’s here. I’ll see you are around. Bye Chris!”

 Buck is out the door before Eddie can blink.

…

“Something is going on with Buck.” Eddie says almost nervously as he sits down next to Chimney, and across from Hen and Karen at the bar.

 Chimney looks up, surprised. “What are you talking about?”

“Look, I’m not going to make you tell me whatever Maddie’s told you about the situation, but is he okay? I’m worried.”

“Uhh…” Chimney says unsure of what he should say. Thankfully Hen intercedes.

“Why are you worried? Has he done something? Is he acting strangely? He seemed fine when I saw him a few days ago.” Hen says with a little concern as to what Eddie’s talking about.

“Yeah, he’s acting different. Disappearing at odd hours and he’s- I don’t know, quieter?”

“Evan Buckley, quiet? Ring the alarm bells, something is wrong.” Chimney says with one part sarcasm and another part seriousness.

“Chim, come on, I’m concerned. He didn’t even say goodbye to Christopher last night before he left.” Eddie’s eyes turn downward as he thinks about it.

“Really?” Karen asks.

“Well, he did send a text to tell Christopher he was sorry, but…”

“I’m sure everything is fine.” Hen comforts. “He’s going through a lot right now. It’s only natural that he would push his friends away. Even his best friend.”

“Best friend. Right.” Eddie says with a grain of sarcasm that the others don’t notice. “Maybe you’re right.”

…

“I’m worried about you.” Eddie says boldly as he sits down across from his partner. They’re at Buck’s place, a small one bedroom apartment he got right after he was injured. Thankfully the landlord at his first place saw him being a hero on television and allowed for his lease to be ripped up. There’s no way he could have done all those stairs on a daily basis. This place now that he has is the opposite and it’s great.

“I’m fine.” Buck says with a nod, but it’s not very convincing.

“Evan, you make sure you’re out of my place by nine sharp, and if I’m here you always find an excuse to get me to leave. You never want to see me on Thursdays even though it’s one of the only two days off I have every week, and- and you forgot to say goodbye to Christopher the other night.”

“Thursdays is- uh- um- it’s poker night?”

 Eddie sighs and gets up. He sits down beside Buck and reaches out to take his hand in his own. He brings it to his lips and kisses the back of his hand gently. “You don’t have to tell me, but just- You’d tell me if you were in trouble or if there was something I could do to help, right?”

 Buck swallows back the wave of emotion this intimacy, this closeness brings, and says, “Yeah, I would.”

Eddie nods his head. “Okay.”

“Okay? You’re not going to question me anymore?”

 Eddie smiles and almost laughs. “I’m not your keeper. I’m your partner, and if you want to tell me I’m here, but if you don’t want to tell me, I’m still here. I’m here for you no matter what.”

 Buck tries to speak, to say something but all of his words get caught in his throat as the emotions overwhelm him. Instead he closes his eyes for a long moment before opening them to find Eddie’s kind ones staring back. The emotions subside for now, giving Buck the opportunity to say whatever he wants, and maybe it is time he says something.

“I’ve been seeing someone.”

“Oh?”

“No, not like that.” Buck says quickly, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “It’s uh- a therapist.”

 Eddie nods his head in understanding as well as urging Buck to continue.

“She’s been helping me deal with some things.”

“Is it helping?” Eddie asks with a calm and slightly curious voice.

“Yeah, I think it is, but it- well we, we decided that I should maybe start taking medication. It’s just a low- low dose to help me feel better about things until I’m able to deal with it alone.” Buck scrunches up his eyes, not sure if this is making sense to Eddie or not. “I guess when I was younger I had a hard time and I’m having a hard time now.”

“I’m sorry that you are.” Eddie says, his eyebrows turned down into concern. “Is there anything I can do?”

 Buck smiles. “I- I don’t know, I guess maybe you could let me be the little spoon sometime?”

Eddie chuckles. “I can do that.”


End file.
